A Destiny Unknown
by boozy von chugaton
Summary: The sequel to Unwritten, Well Almost. This concentrates on Puckelberry's senior year and the effects of what happens during the time. M for future heavy smut. Stays somewhat canon.
1. Bringing Back Shelby

**A/N: **This is the sequel to my first story, _Unwritten, Well Almost_. I highly suggest reading that before this so that you can fully appreciate what the characters have gone through. Also, the first couple of chapters are going to be drama filled due to Shelby's return and I wasn't entirely pleased with how they handled that situation on the show so I wrote my version differently. Those of you who wanted more Shelby and Rachel are definitely going to be getting it in.

Chapter 1: Bringing Back Shelby

"What on earth are you doing?" Puck asked. He watched as his girlfriend furiously brushed the same spot of hair. "Stop," he cooed. He stilled her hand as she began to sob uncontrollably. "What happened?"

"Haven't you heard?" she sniffled. "Shelby's back and teaching at the school." Rachel popped up from her seat and flung herself on the bed. "I mean _teaching_. And of all things, she's teaching another Glee group! How is that even possible? We can barely get members and we have the most popular kids! She'll win I just know it." Another wave of sobs came over her while Puck stood and watched.

"No, she won't. She won't be here for very long, I promise."

Rachel let out a loud scoff and stood in front of him. "So it's true," she sniffled. "How could you not tell me?"

"It wasn't my place," he replied gently. "I thought she would come to your first."

"Well she didn't!" Rachel said angrily. "Instead, I had to hear about it from a fucking Cheerio! A Cheerio Puck!"

"I thought she would come to you first!" he defended. "I didn't even know until I walked into a classroom and saw her! What's the big deal anyway? It's not like she came here for you." He bit his lip hard at his stupid mouth.

"That's what makes it worse!" she cried. "She doesn't even care about me! It's about Quinn. It's always about Quinn and that baby! When is she going to reach out to me? I'm her real daughter, not the child of some airheaded bitch!"

The room got quiet as Rachel flung herself back on her bed. Puck leaned over her and rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her. But he could tell it was a useless attempt. He could feel the anger rolling off her in a continuous stream. He had never seen her this angry – or hurt – before.

"Tell me what to do," he begged. He felt a shudder go through her body before the ice set in.

"Leave me alone."

The lack of emotion in her voice scared him. Rachel was a passionate and emotional person, it's why she was able to sing so beautifully and now it was gone.

Without a sound, he moved off her bed and started downstairs, but not before something caught his eye. He picked up the paper and tucked it in his leather jacket for safekeeping. "I love you," he said softly. There was no response.

XOXOXOXO

Santana's locker slammed shut seemingly on its own accord. "What the-"

"Hey Satan," Puck nodded. He inched toward her so that she had to back up. "I need you to do something for me."

"What's the matter Puckerman? Berry not cutting it for you anymore?" she sneered.

Puck smirked before pulling out the paper and holding it up to her face. "Find out who did this," he demanded.

"Why should I?"

"Because I know what you did to Rachel's hotel room," he declared. "Don't deny it. That had you written all over it."

"I did you a favor Puckerman."

"No, you didn't," he smiled. "If you don't find out who did this, I'll tell Mr. Schue everything and make sure you get expelled. How does that sound?"

Santana huffed as she snatched the paper from his grasp. "It's obvious isn't it? It's Quinn's handwriting."

"You sure?"

"Are you kidding me? Do you know how many hand written notes I've gotten from her when she was captain? I'd recognize it anywhere."

"Thanks," he rushed out.

"Hey," Santana called. "Is it true about Shelby? She's really teaching here?"

"Yeah," he sighed.

Santana strutted up to him and whispered, "How's Berry doing with it?"

"How do you think?" he asked condescendingly. He turned and started the hunt for Rachel.

XOXOXO

Rachel stared into her locker as she replayed last night in her mind. She regretted acting like a spoiled child, but if ever there was a time for it, it was then. So many questions rolled in her mind: Why was Shelby really back? What did Noah mean when he said Shelby wasn't here for her?

She blinked her thoughts away as a voice came into focus. "Hello, Noah."

"Oh good," he breathed. "It's Noah today."

"Before you say any more, I want to apologize for acting the way I did. It's not like you brought her back." Puck lowered his eyes and tucked his hands into his pockets – a sure sign he was guilty of something. She knew already of course that he was responsible because of the note.

"You have to understand something Rachel. I didn't mean for her to come back permanently."

Rachel gasped and slammed her locker shut. "I don't care what you meant to do Puck!" she whispered harshly. "I'm not stupid. I know you brought her back here because of Beth."

"That's partly true," he admitted. "She's my child Rachel."

"No," the brunette snapped. "You gave up that right a long time ago. Beth is Shelby's daughter. What exactly are you expecting here? That Shelby will let you into Beth's life and you will be a happy family?"

"Something like that," he said carefully. Apparently, that was the wrong choice of words.

"I know you aren't smart so let me dumb this down for you," Rachel said. "You have a girlfriend, who happens to be the actual daughter of someone who is now considered the mother of your child. Do you see how this is?"

"I'm not stupid," he clipped.

"You are if you think I'm going to stay in this kind of relationship. I'm not going to be second place to my mother!"

"This isn't about Shelby, it's about Beth! Why can't you understand that?"

"Shelby is Beth's mom, Puck! You think I want to help babysit a child that's my stepsister? My god!" she breathed. "This is the most ridiculous thing I could ever imagine and it's actually happening."

"What are you saying? You want to break up?" He didn't even try to hide the pain that accompanied that sentence.

"I'm saying I need time to figure this out and so do you. I love you Noah and I mean that. But this situation is something I think that even Jerry Springer would find hard to believe."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I know what I want. The question is: what are you going to do about it?" The bell rang and Rachel wasted no time in hurrying to her class, leaving Puck standing in the hallway.

XOXOXO

"Good morning," Shelby said. She noticed on her roster that Rachel was supposed to be in her class and started looking. She scanned the room but couldn't see her anywhere. "Let's start with names shall we?"

The door swung open and in came Rachel. The petite brunette had her head down as she aimed for the back row where Kurt was saving her a seat.

"Bad morning?" the porcelain skinned teenager asked.

"You have no idea," Rachel replied. She wiped a tiny tear away before opening her notebook.

The class seemed to take forever as Rachel wallowed in herself pity and thought about all the things that would never be the same after this.

"You know we're on page twelve, right?" Kurt chimed.

Rachel's textbook laid open to the first page, but she made no effort to move it. "I don't care."

"What happened?"

"I think Puck and I are over," Rachel sniffled.

"Rach, I know it's hard with this being the last school year and NYADA applications but don't give up on him. He'd follow you to the end of the earth and back. I mean, he's probably not going to go to any fancy schools, but he's supportive of you no matter what."

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Rachel glared at Shelby as she replied bitterly, "He's the one who brought Shelby back." Kurt's mouth hung as she scooped up her books and quietly made her way out of the room.

"Oh shit," he sighed. "So much for a drama free year."

He left the classroom feeling sad for Rachel and drifted into his thoughts as he prepared for his next class. He felt Blaine come up behind him and he smiled. "Hello there."

"I heard about Shelby. How's Rachel doing?"

"Not good," he replied gloomily. "Apparently, Puck is the one who brought Shelby back and Rachel is not happy."

"I can only imagine how hard it must be for her."

"And me," Puck piped in. The three boys exchanged greetings before heading for class. "How was Rachel? I know she had Shelby's class this morning."

"She held herself together if that's what you're asking."

"How long do you think she'll stay mad at me?"

"That depends entirely on you. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about Quinn," he said. "I saw her in the summer hanging out with the Skanks and I knew she was hurting."

"So you brought back your girlfriend's mother to make your ex feel better without talking to your girlfriend first?"

"When you put it like that…"

"There is no other way to put it Puck," Kurt scoffed. "I know you and Quinn used to be close, but those days should be gone by now. You share something in common, but that doesn't make Quinn your responsibility. You should've realized what you were doing."

"I wanted to see my daughter."

"And in doing so, there's a good chance you ruined the only person who never stopped believing in you."

"But she's my daughter."

"No she isn't," Kurt replied. "She doesn't know who you are. And frankly, you don't know her either."

Kurt and Blaine had an apologetic expression as they left Puck.

"Well, I'll just have to fix that," he said to himself.

The bell rang again as Puck snuck into Shelby's classroom and waited.


	2. Show Me

**A/N: First, thank you for all the PM's and sympathies. It was really kind and I appreciate it very much. Also, thank y'all for the great reviews! You have no idea how happy they made me **

Chapter 2: Show Me

"I can't believe you did that man," Finn said with awe. He risked a glance in Puck's direction and received a glare – as well as a knifing. "Aw come on! I'm your teammate man!"

Puck threw down his controller and made his way to the fridge. "You deserve it," he replied casually. Their game of Call of Duty had been tense, but the tension had nothing to do with the game itself. "Where's the booze?"

"It's in the back. Kurt uses it to keep his face stuff cold."

"Where is Kurt anyway?" Puck asked as he popped the lid from a beer off.

Finn shrugged lightly as he set up another game. "I dunno. Lately he's been with hanging out with Rachel talking about…whatever girls talk about."

"You mean they're talking about me," he clarified.

"I have no clue dude. It's a don't ask, don't tell situation."

The two guys looked at each other and burst out laughing at Finn's choice of words.

"What about Blaine?" Puck asked when they got their breath back. "Does he hang out with Rach?"

"No," a voice said from the stairwell. "Well, not all the time." Blaine made his way down into the basement/room and took a seat on the couch.

"Why not?" Finn asked.

"That's more up Kurt's alley than mine," he declared. Finn handed him a controller while Puck tossed him a beer. "Though, I'm guessing tonight she's keeping him later than usual."

"It's a good thing he's gay." Puck didn't bother trying to hide the bitterness in his voice. He saw two pairs of eyes looking back at him. "Oh come on, you telling me that you're not relieved when you see Kurt talking a straight guy?"

"Well yeah," Blaine conceded. "Plus, I know you're probably hurting as well."

"Not as much as Puckzilla."

"Yikes," Finned grimaced. "It's been that long huh?"

"Dude, you have no idea. My hand is completely raw."

"Please don't tell me that's what you named your penis," Blaine smirked.

"Of course," Puck scoffed. "Every dude has to at some point."

"I don't," both teens said.

"Well you're both virgins so I'm not surprised."

"I'm not a virgin," Finn reminded him.

Puck sent him a look. "Please, you lost it to Santana. That doesn't count; your dick was the equivalent of a hot dog being thrown in a hallway."

"Equivalent?" Finn asked. "Rachel's definitely rubbed off."

A door slammed shut as Kurt bounced his way down the stairs and gave Blaine a kiss on the cheek. "Hello all," he beamed.

"How's Rachel?" Puck asked.

"You know, there's a really good way to find out. Go see for yourself."

Puck hung his head – partly in shame, the other from resolve. "I can't. I'd only make it worse, if that's even possible."

"Your poor Puckzilla," Blaine scoffed. "It won't be destroying anything anytime soon."

"Really?" Kurt scoffed. "That's all your worried about? Rachel is furious – and that's an understatement." He turned to Blaine and asked, "Is there a word that's better to describe how she feels?"

"Livid?" Blaine offered.

"Perfect." Kurt turned back to the mohawked boy and frowned. "She's completely livid."

"Well so am I!" Puck grunted. "Why does she get all the sympathy?"

"You're kidding right?" the three boys asked.

"Puck," Finn said gently. "How would you feel if the situation were reversed? If Rachel was talking to Jesse and invited him to see their son without telling you?"

"Is she talking to him?" Puck perked up.

"Man," Finn mumbled. "Just shoot some Nazi's will you?"

"Easy enough," Puck shrugged. "This is for all the Jewish people out there assholes."

"I'm scared of him," Blaine whispered.

"Don't worry," Kurt assured. "Just knife him a few times and he'll shut up."

XOXOXO

Rachel heard a knock on her bedroom door. It was quiet, like someone's fingernail gently tapping the wood. "Come in." A smile came to her face as her daddy walked in and sat next to her on the bed. "Hi, daddy."

"Hiya Princess," he grinned. "Your father and I are going out to eat. You want to join?" Rachel's dark locks shook as she negated her answer. "Sweetheart," he said gently, "you can't stay up here all the time. It isn't healthy. I know you and Noah are going through a rough patch but that's no reason to sulk all the time. Think of what you do have and be grateful for it rather than focusing on what's wrong."

"I know," Rachel replied, trying to hide the disdain in her voice. "I'm not mad at Puck. I'm really not. I'm mad at what he did. I just need time to think about things and sort them out."

"Just promise me you won't be like a zombie."

A shadow of a smile ghosted over her lips as she gave her daddy a kiss on the cheek. "I promise. Everything will get better soon." She made sure the door was closed and locked before stripping down to her birthday suit for a nice hot bath.

The tub beckoned for company and she was more than willing to oblige. She slipped in some bubble bath while the water ran. Her mind drifted toward Quinn of all people and why the two girls hated each other. In truth, Rachel actually admired Quinn. It took a lot of courage to come back the way the blonde haired girl did after what happened. "When did our lives become a soap opera?" Rachel wondered aloud.

She turned off the faucet and gingerly sunk into the water. Despite the steam that was filling the room, Rachel had never felt colder. She missed her boyfriend – his wit, immaturity, his hard body rolling around with hers. A smile broke out as she remembered their intimate times in New York, especially when she finally let a man touch her in the most intimate and sensual way someone can touch another. There was no else but her and him. She missed the way his arms would slip around her body, reassuring her that everything would be okay as long he was around.

A tear started to roll down her cheek as she remembered everything about her first time. She hastily brushed it away and dunked down beneath the bubbles.

XOXOXO

"Rachel?" Mercedes snapped her fingers in front of the brunette's face, waking her. "What's wrong, you've been walking in a haze all day today."

Rachel peeled her eyes from a Cheerio talking to Puck down the hall. The short blonde was definitely flirting, but Rachel couldn't tell if Puck was flirting back. "Nothing, I'm fine. Honestly. I'm just really hungry."

"Well we still got a long way to go before lunch," Mercedes quipped.

"By the way, how are you and Shane?" Rachel felt a slight twinge of guilt at not asking before now. Surely she wasn't the only one with relationship problems.

"We're great!" the dark skinned girl beamed. "Couldn't be happier!"

Rachel put on her show choir smile and feigned delight. "That's great! I'm really happy for you."

"Rachel?" A voice called out.

The petite girl spun around to face Shelby and held her breath. "Yes Miss Corcoran?"

"May I have a word with you in private?" The tall woman spun on her heel and headed for a vacant classroom. Rachel followed hesitantly, but quickly. "I just wanted to apologize for not giving you a heads up. I understand how difficult this must be for you."

"I highly doubt that Miss Corcoran," Rachel smiled. "I don't care that you're here and I definitely don't care about your problems with Quinn, Puck, Beth or any combination of them. You're a woman who happens to give birth to me and then decided she didn't want me. I get that and you don't need to apologize for living your life."

"That's not quite what I was expecting, but I just want to say that if I had the choice, I never would have given you up."

"Okay, this is a little too much for me right now so I'm going to go and hope you have a pleasant day." Rachel scooted out of the classroom, but could feel Shelby's eyes on her as she walked away. She saw Noah up ahead looking concerned, but quickly put her head down.

"Rachel?" Brittany's concerned voice echoed through the girl's bathroom. She brought her hand on the stall door and gently pushed it open to see Rachel crying. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Brittany," the brunette sniffled. "What can I help you with?"

"I saw you missed lunch so I came to find you. And I was hanging up my posters."

Rachel let a smile form on her lips as she sat on the counter. "I'm so mad at her."

"Shelby?"

The dark locks on Rachel's head shook. "Quinn."

"What'd she do now?"

"She's so…so...ugh! I'm so mad I can't even find a word to describe it."

The cheerleader gently leaned into the tiny diva and hugged her tight. "It'll be alright," she soothed.

Rachel wiped the tears and studied Brittany's poster. "You're running against Kurt for president?" Brittany nodded with enthusiasm. "Why would you do that? Kurt's your friend."

"So?"

"Kurt really wants to change things that matter; you're implementing shirtless Thursday."

"Does this mean I get your vote? If I win, that just means that you can see your boyfriend's body all day at school."

"Yeah, so can every other girl," Rachel fired back.

"Well it's not like we've never seen it before."

Rachel scoffed and handed Brittany back her poster. "I got to go."

XOXOXO

The day passed in a blur and even Glee felt miserable as Puck sat in his chair. Rachel was sitting in the first row and not even bothering to look behind her. In fact, she hadn't looked at him all day. He'd kill for even a glare.

"Still no luck huh?" Finn whispered.

"None," he replied.

"Okay guys," Schuester announced. "Your assignment this week is to pick a song that you think others would say about you." The teacher glanced around at his student's blank faces as they tried to comprehend the assignment.

"I understand Mr. Schue," Rachel interjected. "We take a song that we feel reflects how we think other people see us – good or bad. For instance I would probably pick out a song about being a drama queen because that's probably how other feel about me."

"Exactly," the teacher smiled. "I expect the songs by the end of the week."

Kurt leaned over as Mr. Schue began to ramble about something. "What are you going to pick?" he whispered to Rachel.

"Oh," she smiled. "I've got the perfect song."

XOXOXOXOXO

Rachel stood in her doorway, waving goodbye to her dads as they set off for a business dinner. Thunder rolled above her as the lights started to flicker a bit. Rain was definitely on the way.

She headed back up the stairs when she heard a familiar song playing on her stereo. "Noah," she gritted. He had a habit of knowing exactly when to sneak in unexpected. It was the Neko Case song that reminded her of that special night when she finally let Noah in every way – and vice versa. "What are you doing here?" she asked softly.

Puck was leaning against the window as the first sounds of rain started to hit behind him. "I missed you," he admitted.

Rachel should've been upset, but he was looking just far too sexy for her to be angry. "Good," she replied flippantly. She blinked a few times to dull the sexy effect he was producing and pushed her finger against his chest. "You've seen me. You can go and fuck Quinn now."

"I don't want to fuck Quinn," he said indignantly. "I wanna fuck my girlfriend!"

A snort escaped from Rachel's body. "Girlfriend? This is how you treat your girlfriends? Yeah thanks for the Princess treatment Puck."

"Hey!" he snapped. "You're not exactly perfect here either Miss Diva! You think you can just bat those brown eyes at me and then I'm blinded to your flaws. Well, I'm not and you got a lot of them."

"Such as?" she scoffed.

He had to think for a moment. "You wear those god awful dresses instead of those skirts you used to wear for starters. You- you lick your lips when you think and it distracts me. You are impatient and overly ambitious and think your perfect!"

"Really Noah? My dress?" she had a look of scorn on her face. "I'm sorry that I have more respect for my body than to go around dressing like a common whore you're used to fucking! I know, why don't we ask that cheerleader you were flirting with earlier if I'm dressed to impress or if I look like a prude."

"What cheerleader?"

"The one in the hallway," Rachel softened her tone to a whisper. "The short, blonde one with the legs."

Puck let out a half sigh and half snort of derision. "Babe," he said smoothly. "There's only one girl I see that has legs worth looking at."

A blush, as well as a smile, crept up Rachel's tanned cheeks at his sincerity. "You better be talking about me."

Puck walked toward the brunette and engulfed her in his arms. "Of course I am. Rachel, I love you and nothing will ever change that."

"I was just so mad at you for telling her to come here to school and-"

"I didn't tell her to do that," he interrupted. "I just wrote to her and said that if there was any way Quinn could see Beth over the summer it might help her out."

"So," Rachel blinked. "You never said that there was a teacher's position open?"

He gave her a look. "Babe, I never even go to class much less pay attention to who the teachers are."

Rachel buried her head in his chest and fisted her hand around his black shirt. "I'm so stupid! I should've known you wouldn't have said that."

"Who told you that anyway?"

Rachel stared at him. "It doesn't matter. I'll take care of it."

There was no way in hell Puck was gonna ask more questions. He had just gotten out of the doghouse. "I'm sorry and I promise I will never do anything like that again."

"Good," she smiled. "Because I hate fighting with you."

"You know what's good about it though? The making up." He scooped her in his arms and put her on the bed, following suit. He hovered over her, kissing and familiarizing himself with her body again. He took one leg in his hands and caressed it as she smiled at him. "You have no idea how much I've missed these too."

"You know what my favorite saying is?" She replied. "Don't tell me. Show me."

And he did.


	3. Memento

**A/N: I thought that since there hasn't really been any real lemons so far, I'd put some in this chapter. So I did. Enjoy and review:)**

Chapter 3: Memento

The alarm had barely gone off in Rachel's room when she felt Puck's hands come around her waist. A smile crept across her face as she was dragged into his body. At first she was delighted at the hardness she felt on her backside, thinking that it was her that caused it. Then she remembered her biology class. That didn't damper her spirits though as she brought a hand around behind her and grasped it gently.

Puck groaned at the touch of his girlfriend touching him first thing in the morning. His leaned into the back of her neck as she stroked him, eliciting even more groans from deep in his chest. "You're killing me," he gasped.

"Well that's a shame," she smirked. She felt a small nip at the crook of her neck and moaned, arching her back into him. Her thighs were beginning to slicken with her wetness.

As if Puck read her dazed mind, he sneaked his hand down past her short nightgown and slithered his fingers underneath, making sure to keep his touch as light as a feather. The heat radiated off her pussy and he bit slightly harder on the back of her neck. Her legs parted, allowing him better access as he slipped two fingers in her and began a steady rhythm. When he heard her breath hitch, he grew tired of foreplay. Grabbing her small frame, he scooted her closer to the headboard.

Rachel's head began swimming from arousal when his hand moved downward. His touch was teasing so she squeezed him a tad tighter. Her plan worked so she let him flip her body to where she was facing the wall, holding on to the headboard. Her excitement grew as he moved closer to her; breathing became shortened the more he slid his hand up inside her thigh.

Puck gently pulled Rachel's hair out of the way as he positioned himself behind her. "Open up," he cooed. He felt air rush in between her legs as he plunged into her. At first, her cry worried him, but her grinding against him made him forget it.

"I'm okay," she reassured with a moan. She knew he stopped from her noise. "I was just surprised." He didn't respond so she began to move against him to let him know he could continue. Her hips bucked when he grabbed them and he began to slide in and out – gently at first, but more frantically as the rhythm picked up. Her breath hitched in her throat, making her produce guttural sounds as he pounded into her. "Oh god," she moaned loudly. "Puck! Harder!"

Puck tried to accommodate his girlfriend's wishes, but if he went any harder, he'd explode and his number one rule was to never come before her. _Ever._ She cried out his name as her inner muscles clammed down tighter than they ever had before on him. She was so fucking tight, he wondered how he couldn't hurt her.

Rachel's orgasm was stronger than she had anticipated and she nearly buckled from the intense pleasure that washed over her. With a few more strokes, Puck came just as hard and the two couldn't move for a good few minutes until their breath caught up.

When Rachel was finally able to move her hands from the headboard, she heard Puck laughing.

"What?" she smiled. His eyes pointed to the place her hands just came from. "Oh," she blushed. The headboard had deep gouges in it from where her fingernails had grasped. "Guess you did pretty well."

"Guess so," he smiled back. His tone was arrogant as he ran his fingers over the gouges. "Now you'll have a memento." Her bright smile warmed his heart and he leaned in for a deep kiss. Her brown eyes lit up after he broke the kiss. "What?"

"I love it when you kiss me like that."

"I love it when you say my name when we fuck," he retorted smugly.

"Shut up," she giggled.

The alarm went off a second time, sending Rachel into a panic. Puck simply cleaned himself off and put on the same clothes. Rachel took fucking forever.

Noah watched his girlfriend set out outfits with matching bra and underwear and buzz around in a hurry. While she was drying off (he offered to help, but she refused), he took the opportunity to change her outfit from one of her god awful dresses into one of the sweater/skirts combination she used to wear.

When Rachel emerged from the bathroom a second time, she frowned. "What happened to my dress?"

"I put it back," he replied. "I want you to wear this one."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not meaning it like that," he explained. "I just love these skirts, especially for today."

"What's going to happen today?"

He walked closer to her, making her back into the wall. His mouth leaned close to hers as he whispered, "I'm going to fuck you even harder at school."

A blush swept over her body and face as Rachel's eyes grew dark with lust. "Well, I haven't worn this in a long time...I guess I could bring it back." His arrogant smirk made her stomach do a flip flop.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Quinn shut her locker and turned, only to be faced with none other than Rachel Berry.

"What do you want Berry?"

"What exactly do you think you're doing?"

"That depends. What do _you_ think I'm doing?"

"I think you're up to something by bringing Shelby back here. Don't deny it," she accused. "I'm not sure what your plan is, but it won't work."

Quinn stifled a laugh, but compensated with a scoff. "Please. You don't have any idea who you're dealing with."

"Neither do you," Rachel countered. Her shoulder pounded into the locker as Quinn walked into her to pass by. She wasn't entirely sure what Quinn was up to, but it was something bad. Rachel knew Quinn had somehow finagled Shelby's return.

The bell rang and Rachel rushed off to her first class. By time Biology came, Rachel felt good about seeing Shelby in the classroom. Rachel strutted into the room with an air of confidence and sat down next to Kurt.

"Well hello there," he chimed. "And how are we today?"

"Extremely...energetic," Rachel blushed. "How about you?"

Kurt sighed dreamily as Blaine walked by the window. "Great! But I have a little problem."

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you later. It's really sensitive."

"Okay." Rachel's brows furrowed together as they turned back to the lesson.

A few minutes later, Kurt returned back to the conversation.

"By the way," he leaned over. "Blaine and I were wondering if you and Puck would like to go on a double date with us."

"Sure," Rachel whispered back. "When?"

"How's Friday?"

"Sounds good. I'll have to run it by Noah but I think he'll say yes."

"Don't be too sure about that," Kurt muttered.

"Why not?"

"Well, Puck might not be comfortable on a date with us."

"Of course he wouldn't," she smiled. "He won't be able to grope me on a double date."

Kurt smiled at his friend and chuckled softly. "Are you sure that's the only reason?"

"Kurt," Rachel chided. "Noah loves hanging out with you and I'm sure he'll feel the same way about Blaine when they get to know each other better."

"He loves hanging out with me?"

"If he didn't, he would still be putting you into dumpsters."

Kurt cocked his head in agreement. "True. It's just he never shows it."

"When has he ever?"

The bell rang signaling the end of the class. The pair walked along the corridor as they continued their conversation.

"So," Kurt resumed, "if he never shows you any affection in public, how does that make you feel? I mean, with Finn, you two were making out in the hallway. To go from that to Puck must be hard."

Rachel smiled as the crowds cleared, letting Puck emerge from the group. He was head nodding his friends when he spotted Rachel and gave her a dirty wink.

"I manage," she replied.

Kurt finally saw what she was looking at and smiled too. "I have to say, it's nice to see you happy Rachel. I mean that."

"Thank you Kurt. I- "

Before Rachel could finish, a slushie hit her square in the face. Kurt's face was decorated as well as the hockey team laughed. "Hey," one of them addressed to Rachel, "now you look somewhat like a girl." The boys high fived each other as Rachel choked back the tears.

"Holy hell!" Kurt screeched. "I forgot what that felt like!"

Both teens gasped from the ice in their face as they raced for the bathroom.

xxxxxxxxxx

"I thought we were past this," Kurt gritted. "Do those Neanderthals actually think they're hurting our feelings now?" He looked over when Rachel didn't respond. Instead, she was sitting on the sink with her head down – cherry ice dripping from her sweater and hair. He saw a tear dancing on the eyelash before falling down to join the red ice. "Aw, Rach," he cooed. "Ignore those guys. They have enough brain cells for one complete thought a day."

Girls swarmed the mirror around the two teenagers, ignoring them completely. Suddenly, the boor burst open and Puck and Blaine rushed in. He looked for Rachel and spotted her legs – he'd know those things anywhere. Girls squealed and ran out of the bathroom as he moved closer to Rachel, who was still perched on the sink.

"Kurt, what happened?" He tilted Rachel's face up with a gentle finger and examined the ice burns.

Blaine joined Kurt and started cleaning him off. "We were just standing there and the next thing I know, those puckheads threw slushies on us."

"You okay babe?"

"Uh, Blaine," Kurt said quietly. "Let's go get some towels from Miss Pillsbury."

Puck waited until the two men were out of the room before turning back to Rachel. His heart really went out to her. He brought a chair close to the sink and set her down into it gently. He turned the faucet on warm and leaned her head back. "Remember when my first time getting slushied?"

A tiny laugh escaped from Rachel as she closed her eyes, letting the warm water soak her hair. "It got stuck in your mohawk."

"I was thinking about when you sat on my lap," he grinned.

She gave a slight chuckle. "Of course you would. You know, I was surprised how well you handled being slushied."

He ran his fingers through her hair, making sure all the ice was out. "Well I had you taking care of me so I figured I was gonna live." A smirk came across her lips, making him smile in return. "Rachel," he whispered. Her fluttered open at his soft tone and he knelt down to face her. "I'm sorry about this. You'd think those assholes would be over the slushing by now."

"It's okay," she assured. "It just took me off guard."

He could tell there was something else going on, but she wasn't going to tell him. "So who did it?" He grabbed some paper towels and handed them to her as she stood up.

"Mike and the hockey players." She took her sweater off to wash it and noticed Puck's eyes widening. "Not now, please."

"What? I like your boobs okay? That doesn't mean I constantly have this need to tease them like there's no tomorrow. Sometimes I just like to look."

"Why am I finding that hard to believe?"

"Because it's not true," he smirked. He locked the door and turned to see Rachel's eyebrows raised. "I promise I won't do anything. I'm just giving you some privacy."

"Well then you should probably be on the other side too." Puck blinked for a few seconds before a laugh echoed through the room. "Noah," she whispered. "Please leave."

"What'd I do?"

"Nothing, just give me a few minutes." Puck nodded, somewhat offended and left quietly. Rachel quickly followed and locked the door. She slid her back down against the door and didn't stop until she reached the floor. Without Noah around, she was able to cry without embarrassment. She replayed Mike's words in her mind which forced more tears.

Puck could hear her crying from his spot against the door. He was caught completely off guard when she asked him to leave. It wasn't like he hadn't ever seen her cry before so he didn't understand what the big deal was. Unless it was that time of the month, in which case it made sense. He leaned his head back on the door and shut his eyes, waiting for his girlfriend.

xxxxxxxxx

A hand gently shook Puck awake. He jerked and focused his eyes on the figure in front of him. "What happened?" he mumbled.

Shelby smiled out of amusement at the sight of Noah Puckerman drooling in his sleep. "You do realize that you're sleeping outside of the girl's restroom right?"

Puck straightened up and wiped the drool from his cheek. "Oh shit," he grumbled. "Where's Rachel?"

"Are you the reason why she locked the door?"

"It's complicated," he sighed. "Have you seen her? Did she come out?"

"No," Shelby replied. "How long has she been in there?"

"I don't know. What time is it?"

Shelby glanced at her watch. "Almost lunch time."

"I've been asleep for that long?" he gasped. He rose from his seat and knocked gently on the door. "Rach?"

Shelby tried knocking as well but got the same silent answer. "Rachel, you need to come out."

There was no answer.

Again, Shelby knocked. "Rachel, I'm speaking as a teacher, I need you to come out and let us know you're all right."

Puck was starting to get worried. "Rachel!" he bellowed.

"Why are you yelling?" the soft voice echoed.

Both Shelby and Puck turned to see Rachel standing with a bag in her hand.

"How the-?" Puck began.

"You looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake you up," Rachel reasoned. She propped the greasy bag in her hand and smiled. "I got you some Burger King."

Puck let out a sigh full of relief. "Jesus Rach. You should've woken me up."

"I'm sorry," she frowned. "Doesn't me going through a drive through full of animal products hold any value to you?"

"Well you should've told someone," Shelby interjected.

"I did," Rachel replied hastily. "I went with the Glee Club and Mr. Schue. We have to practice tonight so we were stocking up supplies."

Sensing tension, Puck quickly grabbed the bag and smelt it. When he looked up, he saw both women wearing the same facial expression. It was freaky how alike they looked sometimes.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I'm a meat man."

"Noah, would you excuse us for a moment?" Shelby asked.

Puck swallowed a mouthful of cow and nodded. "Sure. I'll be with the club." He kissed Rachel on the cheek and gently wiped the grease away from her skin.

Rachel watched her boyfriend walk away, leaving her alone with Shelby. For the moment, she was content to watch his ass move by his swagger. A throat being cleared brought her back to the moment. "What can I do for you Miss Corcoran?"

"Rachel," Shelby began. "I want you to listen to what I have to say for a moment, if you'd be so kind."

_What's the harm?_ Rachel thought. "All right."

Shelby sighed heavily and felt a twinge of nerves she hadn't felt in a long time. "I've been thinking a lot about you since I've moved back. Having Beth, being with her and holding her while she goes through life...it's very difficult to see knowing that I missed out on all that with you. I'd like to make a fresh start with our relationship. And regardless of who raised you, you are my daughter and you will always be a part of me no matter what you do or how much distance we put between us."

"So you go from appreciating from afar to wanting to be friends in a year?"

"Essentially," Shelby smiled. "And the choice is entirely up to you. I know I wasn't around for the first part of your life, but I'd like to be around for the next. What do you say?"

Rachel released a long breath. "Let me think about it. I'm not saying yes or no, just let me think."

"Take all the time you need."

"Thank you." Just as she was about to walk away, Quinn came around the corner, stopping everything.

"Oh," the blonde haired girl gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. Miss Corcoran, I was just wondering when Puckerman and I could come see Beth."

"What?" Rachel exclaimed.

"Didn't Puck tell you?" Quinn mocked. "That's a shocker."

Red flooded Rachel's vision but she controlled herself long enough to escape the hallway. Outraged, she text Puck:

_Get your ass over here. NOW. – RB_

_What'd I do? – NP_

_Just find me. – RB_

Puck sighed and put his phone away. This was not going to be good. He retraced his steps until he passed the janitor's closet. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed him by the collar and dragged him inside. Before he could ever get a word out, he felt Rachel's lips on his in a passionate kiss. Actually, it felt more urgent than passion. It was a possessive kiss, like she was marking her territory. He was instantly hard.

Rachel rushed her hands into Noah's pants and grasped him tightly. He groaned loudly at the touch and she began to stroke hard. Her underwear was already soaked and she just wanted to get him primed, but found that he was already ready when she grabbed him. The idea that he was hard even before she grabbed him sent a surge of possession through her. She abandoned her hold as she unbuckled his pants and pulled his throbbing erection through his underwear.

"Fuck me," she demanded as she sucked on his ear. When he only moaned, she smacked him – hard. "I said to fuck me. Now."

Rachel's hand actually kind of stung which surprised him more than anything before setting off his lust meter. He ripped her underwear off before he lifted her against the wall and without preamble, thrust himself into her. While he pounded into her, she dug her heels into his ass. Her delicate hands grabbed his shirt and ripped it. _Oh man is she pissed_, he thought. The idea made him smile and he grinded into her. She didn't even try to hold back her moans and cries of pleasure. In fact, she flat out screamed his name and she hadn't even had her orgasm yet. Truth be told, he liked this animalistic side.

The first fluttering of her orgasm started shortly after Puck got into her, but Rachel was determined to make it last. She was so livid that the only thing in her mind was to cancel out all the other sexual encounters (and she hadn't even the remotest idea how many that was) , especially Quinn. Just the memory of the blonde's smug face fueled her desire and lust as she matched Puck's intensity. She seized Puck's head and made him look her in the eyes.

"I want you so bad," she breathed.

Her words encouraged Puck and he changed his rhythm from simply in and out to circling his hips. The adjustment hit Rachel in just the right spot and her orgasm hit hard in one long wave. Puck came immediately afterward but continued to pump to let them ride it out. The ripples of her pleasure bounced off his length, making him shudder with his own pleasure wave.

They stayed where they were for a moment as their heartbeats came down to a normal rate.

"Wow," Rachel said breathlessly.

"Yeah."

"You ripped my underwear. Again."

"I'm not sorry. They were soaked anyway." He looked down and saw both their bodies glistening from Rachel's juice. "And now so am I. Not that I'm complaining." Rachel grinned widely as Puck wiped her hair away from her face. "You have me you know."

"What?"

"You have me. You always will and if I was really honest with myself, you always have." A tear flowed down her cheek, but Puck kissed it away. "I know why you did this," he stated. "As amazing as it was, it wasn't necessary. She's the past and you're my future. Don't ever think that will change."

"But-"

"No." He put his finger over her lips, swollen from the kiss earlier. "That's the end of the discussion. I'm not angry or anything like that, I just want you to know that she and I are tied in only one way but that doesn't mean I have feelings for her." He could see her lip trembling and he thought about drawing out of her but somehow, in this intimate moment, being joined together just seemed right. He remembered the time when she made him say her name like he meant it. "Rachel," he pleaded. The tone worked and she stared at him. "I love you. You are the only one I dream about, think about, masturbate to, and look at. That will never change."

She giggled at the masturbate part, but other than that, she was totally in the clouds. He never opened up like this unless he thought it was necessary. "I'm sorry." She bit her lower lip in her apology.

"I'm not."

He hugged her gently before letting her down. The pair carefully opened the door and found no one.

"Lunch is still going on," Rachel reasoned. "We should go clean up. And maybe you need a new shirt."

"I keep spares in my locker." He got a questioning glance but waved it away. "I always need to be prepared okay. I think the coast is clear."

"What am I going to do? I don't have any underwear."

"I have some," he stated flatly.

"I can't wear boxers, Noah."

"No, I meant I have some of yours."

"That's disgusting."

"Is it?"

Rachel shifted her feet carefully. "No, it's actually kind of flattering. But don't let anyone know."

Puck shook his head and snorted. "Go to the bathroom. I'll bring them to you."

"Oh wait," she called out. She bent down and picked a piece of his shirt from the floor. "Here's a memento."

He gave a loud chuckle as he ran to his locker.

Rachel turned and made her way back to the bathroom, ignoring Quinn and Shelby's expressions. It was obvious they heard her and Puck. The thought made Rachel blush but also smile proudly.

She cocked an eyebrow at Quinn as she passed and gave a smirk. "See you at practice," she called out.


	4. The Green Monster

**Chapter 4**

Green Monster

Puck and Rachel sat separately in the choir room for Glee. Despite what had happened earlier in the janitor's closet...and the bathroom, the two were determined to be as indifferent as possible in front of their classmates (well, that was mostly Rachel's doing. Puck was more willing to eat his girlfriend out in the middle of class if the mood came over him, which is why Rachel wanted to keep them separate). Everyone but Rachel and Puck had already performed their song

"Rachel, I believe it's your turn," Mr. Schue stated.

"Indeed it is. And I have to say that this will probably be my best work yet. I know everyone's expecting a Broadway number but I decided to deviate from my normal routine and go a little more...spunky."

"Wow," Quinn said dryly. "There's a shocker."

The petite brunette ignored the blonde's remark and headed toward the middle of the room. Ever since Schuester had announced the assignment, Rachel knew exactly what she was going to do, she just needed to practice. So for the past week, she had Brittany and Santana practice as her backup. The pair made their way down and stood behind Rachel.

"Hit it," Rachel demanded.

The band struck the first chord and away Rachel went.

Don't do love, don't do friends  
>I'm only after success<br>Don't need a relationship  
>I'll never soften my grip<p>

Santana and Brittany grabbed their mics and sang their backup parts.

Don't want cash, don't want card  
>Want it fast, want it hard<br>Don't need money, don't need fame  
>I just want to make a change<br>I just wanna change, I just wanna change, I just wanna change, I just wanna change I just wanna change

I know exactly what I want and who I want to be  
>I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine<br>I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy  
>Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no<p>

One track mind, one track heart  
>If I fail, I'll fall apart<br>Maybe it is all a test  
>Cause I feel like I'm the worst<br>So I always act like I'm the best

If you are not very careful  
>Your possessions will possess you<br>TV taught me how to feel  
>Now real life has no appeal<br>It has no appeal, it has no appeal, it has no appeal, it has no appeal it has no appeal

The three singers repeated the chorus twice before the new verse

I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly,  
>I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna die,<br>I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly  
>I'm gonna fail, gonna die, die, die, die<p>

Again, the trio repeated the chorus twice before Rachel took over the ending.

Da-da-dum...  
>Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no<p>

Everyone clapped except for Quinn, which didn't surprise anyone in the least. Rachel thanked Britt and Satan before the girls took their seats. Though she would never in a million years admit it, Santana liked singing with Rachel. She had kept her word to the Latina that she made at Nationals about not saying a word to anyone about her feelings for Brittany and that meant the world to Santana.

"Very good Rachel," Mr. Schue complimented. "Puckerman, you think you can follow that?"

Noah smirked at the challenge and stepped forward. He put his eyes on Rachel and quirked an eyebrow. "Hell yeah."

"All right," the teacher laughed. "Show us what you got."

Noah signaled for his own helper, Sam, as the beat for Break Your Heart slowly rose from the floor and invaded the space.

While Sam sang the Ludacris parts, Puck kept his eyes on Rachel.

Everyone, including Rachel, was singing along to the song. Even she had to admit that the song was catchy – and perfect for the assignment. The atmosphere reminded the diva of when the Glee club was first starting out and everyone sang along to Sweet Caroline. The irony of both situations wasn't lost on her.

As the song came to a close, the class erupted into a harmony for the last line.

"Whoa, Puckerman!" Schuester exclaimed. "I think you gave Rachel a run for her money!"

Rachel narrowed her eyes but made sure to give him a flirty smile as the mohawked boy sat down. Her attempt at flirting was rewarded by a wink and sexy smile. The thought of those lips on hers gave a shiver of anticipation. But then she thought of what Quinn said in the hallway, and a little green monster came crawling through her veins.

After the regular announcements of sectionals and all that jazz, Mr. Schuester announced that since this week's assignment was done so well, next week's would focus on the defense part of the songs they just sang.

"Find a song that counters what others feel about you," he clarified. "Make everyone see how you really feel about what they think. Use the song to illustrate the feelings you want to tell everyone."

xxxxxxxxxx

Quinn waited for Rachel in the parking lot. When the tiny diva finally came out from the school, she saw Puck come and plant a tender kiss on her cheek before heading to his truck. Words couldn't express how jealous the blonde was over their relationship. What gave Rachel Berry the right of all people to get him? Shouldn't she and Puck be together? After all, they're ones who brought a child into the world and he took her virginity just like Rachel's. She could sing, dance, and everything else the brunette could do. So what made her so damn special that Puckerman wouldn't consider being with the mother of his child?

"Hello Quinn," Rachel said cautiously. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Stay away from Puckerman," was the blunt reply.

"Excuse me?"

"He belongs with me."

"According to whom?"

"Look," Quinn sighed airily, "we can go around this argument all day, but in the end you know he'll pick Beth. And anywhere she goes, I go. That's all there is to it. So just leave now and forget you and him ever happened. I know he will."

"And what makes you say that?"

"It's what he does. That song wasn't just for the assignment. It was a message for you. Breaking hearts is what he does best."

"You know, I remember you trying to keep me away from Finn too. But he chose me."

"And look how that turned out. Don't you see? The boys you're after are only using you because they can't have me. If you hadn't blabbed the truth to Finn, we would still be together."

"I have no doubt about that; because you're just that cold hearted to let a guy live with the idea that he fathered a child even though it's his best friend's, which isn't surprising considering you're willing to cheat on every guy you're with."

Quinn showed remorse as she leaned closer, trapping Rachel between her body and the car. "Stay away from him," she seethed. "He's mine. And nothing between your legs is going to keep him from crawling back to me. You know why? Because we had a child together – a bond you will never understand."

With that, Rachel watched as the former Cheerio stalked back across the parking lot. That green monster she had felt starting to crawl through her veins was now shooting up and down her entire body.

xxxxxxxx

That night, Puck was staring at his girlfriend lying casually on his bed.

Rachel had come over pretty soon after Glee ended with the excuse of tutoring Noah on his geography. But the only map he was interested in was her body. She was having none of it since she kept swatting his hands away whenever he tried to touch her. It was infuriating since she was all over him not two hours ago. In fact, her whole demeanor had changed.

"Babe?" She hummed her response as she flipped another page in her notebook. "Is it that time of the month?"

Rachel turned her head over her shoulder and saw Noah sitting in his chair with his eyes on her ass. Again. "No, why?"

"You were a sex goddess at school and now that we actually have privacy, you won't let me touch you."

A manicured eyebrow lifted on her dark skin. "Sex goddess?"

Sensing a way in, he capitalized on the word play. He gave her a sexy smirk and sauntered over her to where his body covered her back. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Yes, Princess. You were a sex goddess."

A shudder enveloped Rachel as she felt his strong, calloused hand gently glide up her inner leg. But then Quinn's words echoed back in her memory; they fought against Noah's consist speeches about how much he loves her and the sex is just a bonus.

The conflicting messages were messing with the sensual touch of his hands, making her vacillate to respond.

His hand reached the border of her underwear and she jolted as electricity from his touch started to mix with the jealousy already harboring inside her. It just wasn't fair the effect he had on her. She wondered if he felt the same way.

"You're thinking so hard, I can hear your thoughts," he chuckled. She had never reacted this way before. She felt distant and cold yet at the same time he could tell she was aching for more.

"I'm sorry," she ground out. Her body was definitely reacting to his movements, but her head wasn't. Her skin was practically on fire from his hands teasing her legs and arms, but her thoughts were so jumbled that it was hard to let go.

Suddenly, all she felt was air where fire had been.

Noah wasn't about to waste time trying to get her to pay attention. Her mind was obviously somewhere else. His own head conjured up images of her thinking about Finn or Jesse and wondering what sex was like with them. Did she think she made a mistake? She certainly didn't think so earlier. Was she just using him to make another jealous? She's done it before – twice.

"Rach, what's going on? Did I do something?"

Rachel Berry finally sat up on her knees and tried to smile, but couldn't. "No...and yes." Her headache was pounding against her skull from the stress of thinking so hard. Puck was obviously confused at her answer. His green gave away his thoughts and Rachel brought her hand up to his cheek. "I'm just thinking too hard about stuff."

"Did something happen with Shelby?"

"No." She thought about telling him what happened with Quinn, but decided against it. As amazing as he was when he was being protective, Rachel knew she had to do this on her own. He couldn't solve her problems for her all the time and this situation with Quinn went deeper than Puck.

Noah stared into her chocolate brown eyes as she tried to lie to him. Something may not have happened with Shelby, but something definitely happened. "Is there anything I can do?"

Her lips parted into a wide smile. "You can call me a sex goddess again."

"Really? I don't think so. The moment's passed."

She pouted and crawled over to him. Pulling his back to her chest, she sighed dreamily as she sucked his earlobe. "That's such a shame." She grabbed his hand and glided up her leg again until he felt her soaked panties. Sometimes it struck her how brazen she had become since being in this relationship with him. The slightest touch from his fingers sent her into sex mode immediately. "I'm ready to play."

He wanted to tease her back so bad, but when he felt soaked underwear pressing his hand, he discarded that idea pretty damn quick. Instead, he pushed his finger around the material; he didn't even have to do the rest of the work. She let her body come down on his digits all on her own.

Noah heard a throaty groan from her lips as she grinded down on his fingers. He refused to move them, eliciting sounds of discontent from her.

"Noah," she pouted. She rolled her hips, but he did nothing. She knew he was getting her back so she slid her hands under his shirt and let her nails graze his back. He relaxed, but not enough. Getting tired of the childish behavior, she dug her fingernails into his skin and brought them down.

A growl came from deep inside his chest as Puck flipped around. "What the fuck, Rach?"

She grabbed his pants and loosened his belt before pulling his hard member out. Straddling over him, she pushed him inside her so roughly that neither of them could speak for a minute.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. She rolled her hips again and let him feel her throbbing around him. She pulled him in for a deep kiss, pouring her apology into it.

Noah could feel her walls clamping down on him. After she released her hold on his lips, he laid pushed her on the bed and lifted her legs over his shoulder. The pure pleasure that flittered across her face at the new angle spurned him on. He thrust into her harder each time before pulling out almost all the way. Her cry at the emptiness was silenced only to be replaced with a guttural moan when he filled her to the hilt. She met him every time, grasping the sheets as she writhed under his movements.

He felt her orgasm when her insides clamped down on his thick member like a vice grip. He counted to 50 before he let his own release take over.

Rachel sighed in utter contentment as Noah rested over her. He had put his pressure on his arms so that he wouldn't hurt her. She wrapped her arms around him and gently pulled him down to rest on her.

"Does this mean you're going to tell me what's wrong?" he asked after they had rested a while.

"It's not you, I promise. This is something I need to deal with on my own."

"Oh Jesus," he gasped. "You aren't pregnant are you?"

"W-What? No. I'm not pregnant." That would just be the cherry on top of a fucked up sundae.

Puck breathed a sigh of relief, although a child with Rachel wouldn't be so bad – better than Quinn anyway. "Then what is it?"

She was afraid that if she asked him to choose, Quinn would be right: she would always be second place because of Beth. She gave him a tender kiss before getting up to get dressed.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he sat up.

"Home," she replied gently.

"I thought you said your dads were gone for the night."

"They are. I just think we need to spend some time apart."

Puck felt like someone had hit him with a sledgehammer.


	5. Reality Check

**Chapter 5**

**Reality Check**

Noah sat on the edge of his bed and watched Rachel finish putting on her clothes. He was completely blindsided by her announcement. He thought they were doing pretty good so far.

Rachel was just about to leave when Puck closed the door so she couldn't get out.

"Noah," she chided.

"I don't understand. What did I do?"

"I already told you. I just need some time to think."

"About what? One day we're fine and the next you want to break up? How is that cool?

Rachel hung her head at his hurt tone. "I don't want to get you involved."

"What the hell is going on? I'm serious, Berry. You can't just make that kind of decision without talking to me. This relationship isn't just about you."

"Then why are you planning on seeing Beth with Quinn?"

He blinked a few times at her defiant face. "What are you talking about?"

"Quinn asked Shelby when you and she can come over to see Beth. You said you would never do anything like that without talking to me about it first!"

"Rachel," he huffed. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I do want to see Beth, yes; but I don't want to go with Quinn."

"Then why would she ask that unless you were planning it?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

His eyes stared into hers, searching for the truth. "No," he declared, "you don't."

Caught off guard by his insight, Rachel stammered through her explanation. "It's complicated."

"I know it seems like that, but there's nothing complicated about trusting someone – you either do or you don't. There is no in between. You trust me with everything but this. Why?"

It was five minutes before he got an answer.

"I'm scared you'll have to choose. And when you do, I'll be left behind."

Puck's hardened expression softened at her timid answer. He gently picked her chin with her finger. "Babe, that ain't ever gonna happen. I don't want to keep Beth; I just want to see her every once in a while. I don't want to be like my own dad – nonexistent. I want her to know she's loved."

"What about Quinn?"

"How many times do I have to tell you before you believe me? She doesn't mean anything to me anymore. I thought she did at one time, but I've grown up since then. I would hope all this snuggling shit and romance crap I've done has shown you that."

"It-it has, I ju-" Rachel blew an exasperated breath. "This is so complicated I don't even know where to begin."

"You can't control this. This has to take its course and I know it drives you crazy not being able to organize everyone the way you want, but I promise it will get easier. You just have to trust me and for the love of everything Jewish, stop listening to Quinn." A soft smile danced across Rachel's lips, putting Noah at ease. "How was your NYADA audition?"

"It wasn't an audition. I just sent in my application."

"Whatever."

"I think it was good. Kurt sent his in too so...maybe we'll both get in. What have you applied to?"

"With my grades? Clown college."

"I'm serious. I'm sure there are some good community colleges around NYADA or at least in New York."

Puck was almost offended at the condescension. "What if I don't want to go college?"

"Well, what do you plan on doing in New York?"

"I don't know. Anything's possible right? It's New York."

Not wanting to fight, Rachel nodded, but wasn't happy with what he was saying. She finished getting dressed and, after a kiss goodbye, headed back over to her house. She walked in the door and saw her dads sitting on the couch watching _The Way We Were_.

"Daddy?" she called out.

"In here, Rachel!" Hiram replied. Hiram Berry watched his daughter plop down between him and his husband. The moment she sighed, he knew something was wrong. "Sweetheart, is everything alright?"

"Um...yeah?"

LeRoy hit the pause button on the remote and turned to his daughter. "What's the matter pumpkin?"

"I don't know what's going on with me and Noah. We were completely fine until Shelby showed up with Beth and now everything's gone wrong. This is supposed to be the best year of my high school career and she's ruining it!"

"Shelby?"

"No- yes, well no. Her too, I mean. But I'm talking about Quinn. She wants Noah; I just know it. She does everything she can to manipulate things so that she has time with him and every time I say something about it, he tells me to trust him and that nothing is going on. But how can I trust him when he has this...stupid bond with her that I can never compete with? The whole thing's a big mess. I honestly can't take much more of it. I think-" she took a deep breath and swallowed a sob, "I think it's best if Noah and I separate."

"Sounds like Quinn has you exactly where she wants you," Hiram interjected. "From the sound of it, she wants Noah and the only person standing in her way is you. If you give in now, you'll be giving her what she wants."

"That's not the only problem," Rachel admitted. "Beth is also a huge part of it. He wants her in his life, but if that happens, he and Shelby are going to be spending a lot of time together and I just can't handle that right now. Shelby and I aren't exactly on friendly terms and Noah should be supporting me with that instead of thinking about himself."

Hiram met LeRoy's disappointed eyes and nodded. They knew Rachel would never understand what it's like to be kept away from your child – no matter the length of time or age involved – and as painful as it was to do, they had to side with Noah on this one.

"Sweetheart," LeRoy said gently, "I think you and Noah need to take a few days to sort out your feelings. But just because this hurdle is bigger than anything both of you have encountered, doesn't mean it won't end. It just means the fight's going to be longer and harder, but remember angel, the reward of sticking through it is going to be even sweeter." He kissed her forehead and patted her knee. "Take some time apart. You have a lot going on this year: college applications, glee, final preparations, a relationship. It's a lot to handle. But whatever your decision, make sure it's because you have definite proof that it can't work and not because you're allowing other people to dictate what happens."

Rachel smiled at her dad and smiled. "Thank you, daddy." She reached up and kissed them both good night before heading up to bed. Once under the covers, she thought about what her dads were saying and came to the conclusion that they were right. This was no else's relationship and Quinn could just suck it.

xoxoxoxo

A gasp came from the blonde cheerleader as her locker slammed shut seemingly on its own accord. But then she heard a low growl behind her and soon her back was digging into the locker's handle. It was painful, but if she was afraid to make a sound with Puck's eyes boring into her that way. She had only seen him look like that once and that was during Nationals after the elevator incident.

"Hey Q," he said a little too nicely. "Whatcha been up to lately? I mean, besides telling Rachel that you and I belong together and generally scaring the shit out of her in order for her to nearly break up with me."

"W-I-What?"

"Don't act stupid; I know you're a smart girl. Hell, you're one of the most manipulative people I've ever met. Did you think I was jerking around at Nationals when I told you I'd make your life a living hell if you ever made Rachel cry again? Because I meant it. I don't know where you got the idea that we belong together, but you better think twice next time you wanna come at Rachel like that again."

"What is it about her?" Quinn sneered. "You two have nothing in common."

"That's not your problem is it, Q? Why don't you go fuck up another relationship and leave mine the hell alone."

Quinn peered around the steaming figure around her and noticed that the hallway was empty. "I wonder what Rachel would do if she found out that you slept with Shelby?" she sneered.

Puck's eyebrows furrowed together. "What? What are you talking about?"

"That's what I'm going to tell Berry if you don't do exactly what I want."

Without thinking, Puck launched at the blonde and held her against the lockers, squeezing her arms tightly. "Is that a threat, Fabray?"

"It's a promise," she spat. "I want Beth back and I need you to help me."

"What the hell are you going to do with a kid?"

"I'm going to raise her. She's my – our – daughter and she deserves to be with her parents."

"She deserves to be with someone who has the abilities to take care of her," he reasoned. "You can barely take care of yourself and I sure as hell can't."

"I just want to be loved," she cried. "I think Beth can do that."

"Beth isn't a puppy, Q! You can't just take her away from a loving home whenever you feel like it! And whether you realize it or not, you were loved – by Finn, by me, Sam...You were the one who screwed it up. You've manipulated everyone into feeling sorry for you but all I see is a selfish bitch who isn't happy unless she's blaming someone else for her mistakes. There is no future for us. I love Rachel. End of conversation."

And it was. Quinn shuddered as she watched her last line to love walk away. It infuriated her beyond anything she had ever felt before. Rachel Berry of all people getting into Noah Puckerman's heart! It was absurd to even think about. But if he thought that he would make her life a living hell, then he had another thing coming. She spun around and marched on her heels to Sue's office.

"What do you want, Q?" the coach asked from her desk.

"I need your help with something." The older woman glanced up from her notes and stared at the petite blonde. "It's Shelby."

"What about her?"

"She has Beth."

"And?"

"And I want her back."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"If someone were to start an ugly rumor about her sleeping with a student, would that get her fired?"

"Q, let me give you some advice." Quinn leaned in close to hear clearly. "I suggest you stop school and start working at Breadsticks."

"What?" she gasped. "Coach, that's ridiculous. I'm a senior."

"It's no more ridiculous than a teenage girl trying to raise a child while she's in the Cheerios, Glee, and heading for college. You want to give up your youth for a child who in ten years is going to resent the fact that you took her from a stable home because sate your mental instability?" The cheerio was having a hard time finding words, so Sue shut the door and gave her best cheerleader a reality check. "If I ever hear that you talked about this, I will make sure I haunt your dreams. Understand?" Quinn nodded numbly and she began. "Look, Q, I know you've had it rough the past year and a half. I commend you for cheating on all your boyfriends and still managing to be popular for God knows what reason. But look at your friends in Glee: Santana and Rachel get along, Brittany is class president, Porcelain is gayer than a Frenchman in drag and he can safely walk the halls with his boyfriend, and there's an Irish boy who I am convinced is spawned from leprechauns at the end of Kurt's rainbow who landed in Lima. Things have changed – everything but you. You are holding on to an idea that someone can love you if they don't know who you are. But instead of having a child to depend on for that, maybe you should start changing into someone people can grow to love. Take a look at me! I'm a coach of the most successful cheerleading squad in the country and a co-director of the weirdest Glee club slash soap opera that despite all their differences have made through some pretty rough stuff, and a woman whose biography book would be so scandalous that even India would ban it for improper sexual content. Overall, I've achieved a lot. I could have only done that if I changed with the direction my life was going, not fight against it."

"So what do you think I should do?"

"First, you should get the hell out of my office; you're cutting into my lunch break. Second, I've found that apologizing is a pretty good start."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I was serious about the lunch though. Get out."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hello there," Rachel beamed. Kurt strutted to her locker and leaned against its partner.

"Hello. I was wondering if you had any time to talk today."

"We're talking now."

"Yeah, but this is the hallway. Things get repeated."

"Okay, when were you thinking?"

"The Coffee Bean after school?"

"Okay." She got her science book and the two walked together to class.

"How is everything going with the Shelby situation?"

"Good," she sighed. "Shelby wants to take it slow and I said I'd think about it. Puck and I are good except..."

"Except?"

"He has no ambition to do anything you know? I mean graduation will be here sooner than we realize and he has no plans to do anything."

"He's not going to New York with you?"

"He says he would, but I don't know if that's what he really wants. He's not a New York guy; he's more...L.A. or Miami. I think he'd hate the city."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I guess I'll have to wait and see what he wants. I know what I'm doing, but I don't want him to feel as out of place there as I do here."

"What if he doesn't want to go to New York?"

Rachel didn't want to think about that. She loved Noah with all her heart, but singing has always come first. Finn understood that. Why couldn't Noah? "He's good enough to be in NYADA with us," she declared. "Maybe I can get him to put in an application."

Kurt's eyebrows rose to his forehead. "Noah in NYADA?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"NYADA has rules. In case you didn't notice, he doesn't exactly obey the ones we have here."

"He will if it means something to me."

"Rach, you can't manipulate him into doing something because it's what you want. That isn't fair to him."

"Well, it isn't fair that he has no goals in life so I guess we're even."

"Let me know how that conversation works out for you."

The second bell rang and the pair took their seats. By time class ended, Rachel noticed that she hadn't stared at Shelby like normal. Maybe she could do this slowly after all. "Miss Corcoran?"

"Yes, Rachel?"

"I just want to say that I would be willing to take everything slow. If the offer is still there."

Shelby's smile reminded Rachel of her own. "Of course it is. Are you going out for the school play?"

"Yes, I am. I think it's obvious that I was born for the role of Maria. I see no competition for the role."

"I admire your confidence, but arrogance is never a sign of a star."

"Excuse me?"

"Rachel, when I went to New York, I was just like you: overconfident, ambitious, ready to take on Broadway and become a legend. But casting directors don't see talent when you are arrogant. They see a spoiled child who is used to getting all the solos and having everyone tell them they're special. I learned that the hard way."

Rachel was deeply offended. "Thank you very much for the unsolicited advice. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have class." She could hear her name being called behind her, but she kept going. She had always heard that she was bossy, arrogant, and annoying; but everyone had always assured her that her talent combated those flaws. Failing at Broadway was just not an option and it pained her to hear that the walls she put up by being confident might cause her to lose her dreams.


End file.
